Pixel 6a review: Google is perfecting the Pixel 6

Google is really rocking for the fences this year. The Pixel 6a is not only the latest entry in the reliably excellent Pixel A series; this “mid”A line is also getting a major upgrade in the form of a flagship-class system-on-a-chip. Yes, the Google Tensor SoC that debuted in the Pixel 6 is also in the Pixel 6a. It’s the same chip, and that means the speed of the Pixel A series is doubling year after year. Did we mention the phone is still $449?

Google has created a mid-range juggernaut.

New family of smartphones

With the launch of the Pixel 6 last year, Google is finally on a solid path forward for its smartphone division. Apart from its own Google SoC (with a lot of help from Samsung), Google also had a hardware design that it could finally call its own based on a distinctive and even somewhat useful camera panel.

In the past, Google has flipped the smartphone chart every year and started all over again, seemingly from scratch. That meant a disjointed, aimless phone brand that basically felt stacked up every year. But the Pixel 6a is clearly “step 2″of a long-term iterative process for Google’s phone hardware. The Pixel 6, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 7 (which has already been officially announced and pictured) are clearly part of the same family of smartphones, and this represents a big step forward for Google’s hardware. The company is getting a little closer to more serious hardware ventures from Apple and Samsung.

The Pixel 6a is definitely part of this new family of smartphones and looks more like the third, smaller size of the flagship Pixel lineup than a brand new mid-range product. The Pixel 6 Pro is a 6.7-inch version with a 120Hz display, a 5,000mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, and an $899 price tag. The Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch diagonal, a 90Hz display, a 4600mAh battery and a $599 price tag. The Pixel 6a takes it one step further, with a 6.1-inch diagonal, 60Hz display, 4410mAh battery, and 6GB of RAM for $449. They all have the same design and the same SoC, they are all waterproof (Pixel 6a – IP67), and they all have in-screen fingerprint scanners. Google’s lineup is now very similar to Samsung’s, with three flagship phones at the top.

The biggest downside is the 60Hz display, which isn’t as good as the 120Hz display you’ll find on more expensive phones, but is fine for basic smartphone use. The camera system is represented by the time-tested Sony IMX363 as the primary sensor, instead of the newer sensors in the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Google has been using this sensor since the Pixel 2, and it does a very good job of getting decent results from the ancient chip. It will probably outperform all others at this price point.

There’s also no wireless charging and, as usual for the Pixel line, there’s no microSD slot. This year, Google is also ditching the mid-range A-series headphone jack.